MUM’S NOT THE WORD

Could Cannon really be shooting a movie in the land of apartheid?

When we were first tipped about it, Cannon denied that parts of “My African Adventure” (now retitled “Ben, Bonzo and Big Bad Joe”) were filming (with some black actors) in South Africa. Asked a Canon P.R. rep, “Why would you even think we’d film over there?” She insisted that it was Zimbabwe where they were filming--”the same sets we used for the two Allan Quartermain films.”

Then Army Archerd reported in his Daily Variety column that the wife of actor Warren Berlinger--who’s in “Ben . . .”--said her hubby had been mugged outside his hotel in Johannesburg.

We contacted Berlinger’s wife Betty, who insisted, “I ought to know where my husband is.” A call to Johannesburg’s Santan Sun Hotel confirmed that cast members Dom DeLuise and Jimmy Walker were staying at the hotel.

We also learned that Cannon has a Johannesburg production office, which acknowledged the filming and tipped us to a company memo that allegedly commands Cannon employes not to discuss the shoot.

Here in Hollywood, that initial Canon publicist called us back: She’d just learned that her company was in South Africa. “Turns out we’re doing about 5% of the filming there. Mostly establishing shots. We needed a port--so we shot in Durbin.”

But why film in South Africa in these awkward times?

Said Menahem Golan, Cannon co-chairman, on the phone from New York, “I don’t look at making movies as politics. I look at making movies as entertainment. I hate apartheid. I hate apartheid. But I have no political problems with South Africa myself, personally.”

Does he have South African investors: “I will not deny there is a certain investment in the movie from two people in South Africa.” But the film shot in South Africa for one week and “then we are in Zimbabwe for nine weeks.”

There was good reason for Cannon’s shyness on the matter: “We know the repercussions of this kind of publicity. . . .”